At a glance
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Authorship | John the apostle "beloved disciple" (traditional); critical alternative: Johannine community |
| Date | ~85-95 AD (possibly latest Gospel) |
| Audience | Broad Christian and non-Christian readers |
| Genre | Gospel, distinctive theological-meditative |
| Purpose | "These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31) |
| Chapters | 21 |
Outline
| Section | Chapters | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Prologue | 1:1-18 | Logos hymn |
| Book of Signs | 1:19-12:50 | 7 signs and extensive discourses |
| Book of Glory | 13-21 | Last Supper and cross and resurrection and epilogue |
Seven signs
| Sign | Chapter |
|---|---|
| Water to wine | 2 |
| Official's son healed | 4 |
| Lame man at pool | 5 |
| Feeding 5000 | 6 |
| Walking on water | 6 |
| Man born blind healed | 9 |
| Lazarus raised | 11 |
"I AM" sayings
| Saying | Reference |
|---|---|
| "I am the bread of life" | John 6:35 |
| "I am the light of the world" | John 8:12 |
| "I am the door" | John 10:9 |
| "I am the good shepherd" | John 10:11 |
| "I am the resurrection and the life" | John 11:25 |
| "I am the way, the truth, and the life" | John 14:6 |
| "I am the true vine" | John 15:1 |
Plus absolute "I AM" (John 8:58; 18:5-6), divine identity claim.
Main themes
| Theme | Description |
|---|---|
| Deity of Christ | John 1:1; 1:14, 18; 20:28; high Christology throughout |
| Eternal life | "Life" / "eternal life" major themes |
| Belief | "Believe" used ~100 times |
| Word / Logos | Cosmic prologue |
| Glory | Manifest in incarnation and signs and cross and resurrection |
| Spirit | Extensive Spirit teaching (John 14-16) |
Key passages
- John 1:1-18, Word and prologue
- John 3:16, God so loved
- John 4, Samaritan woman
- John 6, bread of life
- John 10, Good Shepherd
- John 11, Lazarus
- John 13-17, Upper Room discourse and High Priestly prayer
- John 20:28, Thomas's confession
- John 20:31, purpose statement
- John 21, Peter's restoration